This Neo-Classical house was built by Dr. Solon Lycurgus Coleman on a lot he purchased on February 20, 1906. It has a central double leaf entrance with fanlights and sidelights on both the first and second floor. The house has a full height portico w …

Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) grew up on the farm of her parents, Obadiah “Obie” Scott and Bernice McMurray Scott, located north of Marion near the community of North Perry. The Scott family attended Mt. Tabor AME. Zion Church located next door to th …

The Fambro-Arthur house gets its name from two of its owners. One was a judge, and the other was a former slave. Judge W. W. Fambro built this house in the early 1840s. He may have constructed the house using two older structures. D. EzeKiel Arthur was …

The town of Thomaston, which was founded by Dr. Charles B. Thomas, was incorporated November 15, 1901. In 1907, the Alabama State Legislature voted to set aside money for the establishment of a consolidated, school in each county. Records from 1905 sho …

Joel Desaker Jones was born January 5, 1861, at Sweet Water (Exmore) and died June 28, 1946, at Dixons Mills. By profession, he was a surveyor, but his passion was genealogy. Locally educated, Joel Desaker Jones began surveying at age ten. He was appo …

The date that this building was built is not known; however, it was prior to 1919 because this was when the post office closed. According to U.S. Postal records, the community of Cohassett (or Cohasset) was also called Sowell and Almarant. Sowell post …

Thomaston, like several other towns in our area, began as a railroad town. The Town of Thomaston was incorporated November 15, 1901 and the railroad was completed through Thomaston on November 21,1901. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad’s Selma to …

This Greek Revival courthouse building was built around 1848. It was the third building to serve as the courthouse for Marengo County, AL, out of a total of six. It served as the courthouse until 1903. Since then, this building has been used for severa …

This school was built around 1900 by Charles H. Miller, Sr. He employed the teachers to provide an education for his children and other children in the community. In 1929, the Marengo County Superintendent of Education consolidated the county schools. …

Provided are pictures of the little Presbyterian Church that’s located in the community of Coatopa, AL in Sumter County. It is on the north end of Coatopa Drive approximately 0.2 mile from the intersection with Ala Hwy 28 and this intersection is appro …

The Kimbrough Hospital was a privately owned hospital built circa 1937 by Dr. Cecil E. Kimbrough as a service to the community to provide healthcare. It was a full-fledged, two-story hospital with several doctors, nurses, staff, OB/GYN, surgery, x-rays …

The Thomaston Colored Institute, also known as the Thomaston Academy, is a historic African American school building in the town of Thomaston, AL. This two-story brick building was completed in May 1910 as a private school by an African American religi …

About This Website

Welcome to rural southwest Alabama. This website is dedicated to twelve counties located in rural southwest Alabama which includes a large portion of Alabama's Black Belt area. This region is known for its rich and diverse heritage, historic homes and churches, and natural beauty. This website contains details about historic and interesting places that you will find in this area of Alabama.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST OF THE HOMES INCLUDED ARE PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARE DRIVE BY ONLY.